Good lands national appointment

Manawatu Turbos assistant coach Aaron Good has been named an assistant coach of the New Zealand Under 20s.

Good, who has been the Turbos’ assistant coach for two years, joins Under 20s head coach Craig Philpott and fellow assistant Derren Whitcombe for the side’s 2019 campaign which will culminate in the Junior World Championship in Argentina in May.

The squad’s work gets underway with a 50-man training camp in December at the Massey University Sport and Rugby Institute.

There will be a familiar face in that group for Good with College Old Boys and Manawatu Academy outside back Awatere Kiwara getting trial spot.

Good’s appointment continues his impressive rise up the coaching ranks.

The 28-game Turbos halfback picked up coaching in 2010 after having to make an early injury-forced retirement from playing.

After club stints with College Old Boys and Feilding Old Boys-Oroua, along with representative appointments including the Manawatu Under 18s, Manawatu Under 19s, Manawatu Development XV and Hurricanes Under 20s, Good was appointed Turbos assistant coach in late 2016.

Since then he has also been involved in the Hurricanes Development XV coaching staff.

The New Zealand Under 20s have trials in December and March before a squad is selected for the Oceania Championship in April and then the World Championship in May.